Today (ay-ay-ay) I am the luckiest Police Fan (fan-fan-fan) alive (live-live-live)...

[stevescholz]

A while back on a previous version of this board, I wrote about seeing The Police at Ye Olde Comiskey Parke in '83. I won a pair of tickets for it by listening to WLS AM & FM. And though I was a young kid in Iowa at the time, I took a bus to Chicago and saw that cool show.

Last Sunday night, I entered the WXRT online contest for the current Police shows. Monday, I got a voicemail from a guy who said "you've won tickets to see The Police on Friday at Wrigley Field! These tickets are really hot, so we can't send them to you by mail. You have to come to the station to pick them up...." I did, and the two seats are on the field at Wrigley, just to the left of the stage.

Wow. Twice in 24 years. In the same city.

I got me Police Chicago Concert Symmetry! :D

(And for my brother's great perspective on this, check out his blog at www.aaronscholz.com (http://www.aaronscholz.com). I really wish he could join me, but he's rockin' out tonight as well.)

Walking on the moon,
Steve

[Miss Mason]

I am so jealous. Heard them yesterday sound checking with Message in a Bottle and got misty. Rock.

[bill binkley]

Sounds like Synchronicity to me ...

All right, how many times did you already hear that?

[LoLo]

That is such an awesome story. It was meant to be.

[meister]

I won tickets to Starship. (No JEFFERSON or AIRPLANE needed.)

At Six Flags.

In 1986.

We, indeed, built this city.

On Rock-n-Roll.

[stevescholz]

Ah Miss Mason...what you heard at soundcheck was their opening number. Right after Stewart Copeland kicked off their performance with a gong.

Dave (or is it Bill?)...you are the very first, man. Great assessment. It's like your some kinda ghost in the machine.

Ms. LoLo, you may be right...I'll get back to you after their next concert in 2030.

And Mr. Meister...I envy you for being knee deep in the hoopla. Did Marconi play the mamba?

The Friday show was very cool. Sting's son even sounded all right with the opening band FlashPoint (ah, the Chicago tradition of nepotism). And Wrigley was PACKED by the time The Police took the stage at 8:30. I was maybe 50 feet away from Sting, Andy and Stewart. It was all them. A few looped backing percussion tracks and some extra vocals, but otherwise it was the guys. I went with a co-worker who's a local bass player (Sting's work in The Police inspired him to play bass). He'd never seen them live, and was a little disappointed that they weren't "tighter" on the songs. But I disagreed. They took solos in songs they could have just played through, but they had fun.

Seeing Sting stomping and Andy jumping and Stewart thrashing and jumping between his extra percussion and his normal gigantic kit....very very cool. And they did three planned encores, but they finished by running onto the stage crouched over, then moving back and forth Monkess-style, and then jumping into place to rock out with "Next To You." After playing the "hits" near the end of the show (Roxanne, Every Breath You Take, King Of Pain), the surprise of Next To You was terrific--I could see much of the crowd going "wha?" and not recognizing the song (it was never a single in the US). But it ROCKS and they gave it so much energy. Best thing of the night. It showed that they are still a three piece band holding their own like they did 30 years ago.

At the very end Sting said "and we'll see you again!" I hope that's true.

Steve